Hen&#39;s nest



June 23, 15331. H. A. TRULLINGER HEN S NEST Filed May 29. 1929 PatentedJune 23, 1931 PATENT OFFICE HERBERT TRULLINGER, OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY,OREGON HENS NEST Application filed May 29,

1 This invention relates to .animal husbandry and more particularly to anest adapted to. be occupied by hens for laying purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide a nest including anopen-endedhousing having a laying tray or platform so mounted therein that afteran egg has been laid it may roll from the platform into the lowerportion of the housing and beneath the platform to-a position near theopen rear end of the housing where it may be easily. removed withoutdisturbing a hen occupying the nest,

mount the tray or platform in the housing that it may be swung upwardlywhen not occupied in order to allow eggs to be easily removed from thelower portion of the housing and also allow the platform to be held in araised position and thereby prevent the nest from being used if sodesired.

Another objectof the inventionis to provide a laying tray or platformincluding a frame and firmly secured to the frame but may be releasedtherefrom when it is necessary to re place the fabric. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide the nest with a shield inits lower portion upon which the eggs fall and to provide improved meansfor releasably securing the same in the housing. y

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a perspective view of the improved nest,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the nest,

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through thelaying tray or platform on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame for the platform. I y

The housing 1 of this nest is preferably formed of strong sheet metal.This housing is open at its front and rear and is provided with a bottom2, side walls 3 and top l formed from a strip of sheet metal bent toform the 50 same and having its ends overlapped, as

Another object of the invention is to so strip of fabric which is very T1929. Serial No. 367,095.

shown in Fig. 1, and secured by rivets or equivalent fasteners 5. Thefront wall 6 is also formed of sheet metal, and this wall has a lowerflange 7 and side flanges 8 which overlap the bottom and side walls ofthe housing and are secured thereto by rivets or equivalent fasteners 9.The upper end portion of the front wall projects upwardly above the sideflanges 8 and is rolled outwardly to form a ledge 10 upon which hens maystep when entering the nest without injuring their feet or being liableto slip and fall.

lVithin the body is mounted a laying tray or platform 11 which extendslongitudinally therein, as shown in Fig. 2. This platform is providedwith a frame 12 which is also formed of sheet metal. The strip of sheetmetal from which the frame is formed is bent in spaced relation to itsends to provide side bars 13 connected by a cross bar 14 and the stripis further bent to provide inwardly extending flanges 1 5 and 16f0r theside and end bars. A sheet of strong fabric 17, which is preferablycanvas, extends in covering relation to the frame and has its marginalpor tions extended downwardly against the side and end bars and thenfolded'upwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After the marginal portionsof the sheet have been folded about the side and end bars of the framesecuring strips 18 and 19 which are also formed of sheet metal andU-shaped in cross section are applied in straddling relation thereto, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, and since the metal from which the clamps areformed is resilient they will firmly bind the fabric to the side and endbars and hold it in engagement with the frame. Openings20 are formed inthe side bars 13 and in these openings are received bolts 21 which arepassed inwardly through openings in the side walls of the housing. Thesebo'lts serve to support the forward end portion of the platform andallow it to be swung upwardly from the operative position shown in fulllines in Fig. 2 to a raised or inoperative position indicated by dottedlines' in this figure. Tongues 22 are struck from the side walls of thehousing and bent inwardly andthese tongues are adapted to engage sideportions of the platform near the rear end thereof in order to supportthe platform in its operative position. It should be noted that, whenthe platform is resting upon the tongues or abutments 22, it slopesdownwardly toward its forward end and, therefore, an egg will rollforwardly along the canvas and drop olf the forward end of the platformdown into the lower portion of the housing.

In order to prevent an egg from being broken when it drops into thelower portion of the housing, there has been provided a false bottom orbuffer 23 formed of wire netting and having its rear end engagedbeneath, one or more tongues 24 struck upwardly from the bottom of thehousing and. its forward end portion curved upwardly and engaged bytongues 25 struck from the wall 6 and bent inwardly. In view of the factthat the forward end of the strip of netting 23 is loosely engagedbeneath the tongues 26, this'strip will have suficient gave in order toprevent an egg from being broken when it drops upon the upwardly curvedforward end of the false bottom. The rear portion of the false bottom isbent upwardly at opposite sides of the tongue 24, as shown at 26, inorder to prevent front and rear ends, and a laying tray in said an eggfrom rolling out of the open rear end of the housing.

When the nest is in use, it is placed in a hen house and may rest upon ashelf or other suitable support. A hen steps into the housing'throughthe open front and sets upon the platform. When the hen leaves the nest,the egg will roll along the sheet of canvas and drop upon the forwardend of the false bottom along which it will roll until it strikes theup-turned rear end portion thereof. A person collecting I eggsapproaches the nest from the rear and can remove an egg through .theopen rear end of the housing without disturbin'g a hen occupying thenest. If the nest is unoccupied, the platform may be swung upwardly sothat easy access may be had to eggs in the lower portion of the hous-'ing. The sides of the platform have sufficient frictional bindingengagement with the side walls of the housing to permit the platform toremain in araised position and, there,- fore, a nest may be blockedif itis not desired to have itused. When it is necessary to re.:

move asheetof canvas and replace it, the

bolts 21 are removed, thereby releasing the platform so that it can bewithdrawn from the'housing and after the clamps have been removed inorder to release the canvas the old canvas can be detached fro-m the.frame and a new one substituted. The clamps will then be replaced andthe platform again mounted in the housing.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: V y 7 V 1. A nestcomprising a housing open at its housing pivotally mounted adjacent itsfront end and having its side portions bearing front and rear ends, alaying tray in said housing and having side bars'pivotally connectedwith side walls of the housing adjacent their forward; ends to mount thetray for swinging movement from a substantially vertical position to alowered position for use, and abutments extending from side walls of thehousing to engage beneath rear portions of the side bars of the traywhen the tray is swung from a raised to a lowered position and supportthe tray in position for use.

3. A nest comprising a housing open at its front and rear ends, a layingtray in said housing having side bars and a rear end bar, a sheet havingits marginal portions folded about the side and end bars, clampingstrips extending longitudinallyof said bars and straddling said barsfrom their lower edges and gripping the marginal portions of V thesheet, fasteners passed through side walls of the housing and throughsaid sidebars adjacent'the front end thereof to pivotally mount the trayfor vertical swinging:movement into and out of an operative position,and abutments extending from side walls of said housing to engagebeneath side bars of said tray and support the tray in an operativeposition.

4. A nest comprising a housing open at its frontand rear, a front wallfor the lower portion of said housing, tongues extending in wardly anddownwardly from said front wall, other tongues extending upwardly andforwardly from the bottom of the housing,

a laying tray in said housing sloping forwardly with its front endspaced from the front wall, and a sheet of yieldable material in saidhousing beneath said tray with its rear end engaged beneath the tongueof the bottom of the housing andits forward portion curved upwardly andoverlapped by the tongues of the front wall. U a

In testimony whereof I affix my, signature.

HERBERT A. TRULLINGER. [L. 8.]. Y

